It has been remarked, in the course of these Memoirs, that the manuscript
document from which the substance of what has been communicated was
drawn, was distinguished by any thing rather then regularity, or
chronological accuracy. Some pains have been taken in our progress, to
form the materials into shape, but not always to our satisfaction.
We come now to a remarkable proof, that these Memorandums were noted
down, as they presented themselves to the recollection, for the two
females about to be mentioned, should, in point of time, have taken the
lead of the class to which they belong. Both are mentioned in terms of no
ordinary esteem or regard. We shall first introduce
MRS. YATES.
To this distinguished lady, our Sexagenarian appears to have been
introduced, on his first arrival at the metropolis. He could not
well have been more fortunate, for at her house he immediately became
acquainted with some of the most distinguished literary characters of
the time. There he met Murphy, Home, the Author of Douglas, Richard
Cumberland, Hoole, the Translator of Ariosto, the Adelphi Adams, old
Macklin, Mrs. Lennox, Mrs. Brook, and various other eminent individuals,
all of whom, alas! have now paid the last awful debt of nature.
Of Mrs. Yates’s talents in her profession, it would be unavailing and
useless to speak here. The few who remember her, cannot but allow,
that in characters which required majesty, dignity of person, and of
manner, she was incomparable. It is rather our province in this place
to render the justice which is due to her pre-eminent intellectual
endowments, her very highly cultivated mind, her polished manners, her
graceful and elegant elocution, her urbanity, and universal benevolence.
It was utterly impossible for a young man, hitherto ignorant of the
world, and but little acquainted with the higher cast of society, to
have been placed in a better school. Where she took a liking, (and no
recommendation was so effectual to her as a desire of improvement) she
enjoyed a particular pleasure in making a young person acquainted with
those little, but inexplicable essentials, about which Lord Chesterfield
has written volumes, and which the French emphatically denominate
_petites morales_, _agremens_, and _bienseance_. Nobody understood them
better, or practised them with greater effect. She was particularly
partial to young clergymen, and as she was in no common degree delighted
with the church service, and remarkably punctual in her attendance at
public worship, she derived great satisfaction in instructing her young
friends in the art of reading with emphasis and effect. She herself read
the liturgy in the most impressive manner, and there were many clergymen
who were not reluctant to acknowledge, that if they possessed this
valuable accomplishment to any degree of excellence, it was imputable
principally to her suggestions, taste, and judgment.
For a considerable period, Mrs. Yates, in conjunction with her most
intimate and beloved friend, Mrs. Brook, (hereafter to be mentioned)
was manager of the Opera-house. Under the direction of their taste,
the undertaking flourished to no common degree. This circumstance also
increased the satisfaction of being an inmate at her house, which
consequently became the resort of many distinguished foreigners.
Mrs. Yates was, however, remarkably circumspect with respect to the
characters of those, whom she admitted, and at that period, gave no mean
proof of her discriminating sagacity, by the utter rejection of some
Italian and French miscreants, who, though their services were found
expedient in the Haymarket, could never find admission to the elegant
parties in Stafford-row. Some of these wretches afterwards conspicuously
signalized themselves on the theatre of the French Revolution, and
ultimately met the fate they richly deserved. The taste of this Lady was
remarkably correct, in her table, her furniture, her library, and indeed
in every thing.
At the period of her retiring from the stage, Mrs. Siddons was gradually
rising to the acme of public favour; but this did by no means excite in
her any thing like envy or discontent, and she on all occasions readily
bore testimony to the merit of her rival. On one occasion only, did she
express herself in a manner, which might have led the hearer to suspect,
that her opinion of Mrs. Siddons was not exactly conformable to that of
the public.—She was in a box at the theatre, on some occasion when Mrs.
Siddons appeared in one of her most popular characters, and immediately
behind her were two Gentlemen, who were extravagantly loud in their
applause. Among other specifications of her excellence, one of them
highly extolled her voice, observing that her voice was like that of a
man. Upon this, Mrs. Yates turned round, and said with a smile, “It is
the first time I ever heard it remarked, by way of compliment to a lady,
that her voice resembled that of a man.”
It seems indispensable in one, who knew her for many years with the
greatest familiarity of friendship, to render, as far as possible, an
act of justice. It was maliciously reported, and too generally believed,
(for the most unsupported calumnies, like the wildest aberrations from
the simplicity and purity of the gospel, are always certain of meeting
with friends and proselytes) that in the decline of life, she indulged in
habits of inebriety.
The writer of this article may boldly assert, that he never witnessed
the smallest appearance of any such irregularity, nor could discover any
propensity to improper indulgence of any kind. One fault she had, which,
with respect to the unfortunate object concerned, was attended with
very fatal consequences. Mr. Yates had a niece, who was educated at his
expence somewhere in France. On her removal to England, she was received
into the house of her uncle, and was a sort of humble companion to the
Lady.
Mrs. Yates was hasty and passionate, and, on the least provocation
from this poor girl, she would, by way of punishment, order her into
the kitchen. The consequence may easily be anticipated—she married the
footman. The calamities in which she was afterwards involved, exceed the
ordinary degrees of human suffering. She was discarded by her relations,
her husband turned out exceedingly worthless, and she was left a widow
and a beggar with several children.
Miss Yates had a brother, who was a lieutenant in the navy, an amiable
and ingenious man; but his story would carry us beyond our bounds, and
has little to do with our more immediate object. He was shot in his
attempts to get into his uncle’s house, to whose property he thought, as
heir at law, he had just claim. He also left a widow in distress. What
the ultimate fate was of these truly unhappy people, was not known when
this was written.
To return to Mrs. Yates. She was afflicted, towards the close of life,
by a most painful illness, and her sufferings were exceedingly severe.
She endured them with a pious and Christian-like constancy; regularly had
the prayers of the church read to her when she was not able to read them
herself, and died with the greatest composure and resignation.
Hortus alat violis te volo, inde rosis.